Great start to a new series! I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started reading this book but I loved it! A dark, paranormal, enemies to more story that had me scared and thrilled all at the same time. I can't wait to read more in this series!

Hunter born, hunter bred

Kill the vampires or you’ll be dead

I really didn’t know what I was getting into by reading Surrender the Dark. I knew, from the blurb, that the book was going to be dark but I really wasn’t expecting how dark it got during the book. Not that I minded because that darkness made the book so good to read. Also, take a look at the cover. Normally I don’t comment on the cover of books but I had to on this one. It fits the book perfectly. The half-naked man standing, with his back to the reader, his arms out at his side and looking up at whatever is beyond the cover. Love it!!

Benjamin was a very interesting character to read. The book actually starts off with a prologue when he was 8 years old and taking “lessons” from his uncle. What lessons is he taking? How to kill vampires and these are lessons that Benjamin do not enjoy. On that particular day, his Uncle decided it was the time that Benjamin made his first kill and left him in the dungeon with an incapacitated vampire. Which was a mistake, of sorts, because Benjamin, in a moment of sympathy for the vampire, decided to give him some water and that set off a series of events that ended with his parents and uncle getting killed, Benjamin losing his eyes and the vampire escaping. So to say that he has some issues is a huge understatement.

Fast forward 20 years and Benjamin is avenging his parents and uncle’s murders by taking out vampires one by one with the help of his friends: Nyx: a half faery, half witch and in hiding from her parents, The Morgan who is the powerful head of the coven and Lady Morgana, who is the queen of the fae, and Akito: a regular human who Benjamin met while in the psych ward and who wanted to be a superhero. While Benjamin is blind (acid in the eyes can do that to you), he can see auras. Which does come in handy while fighting vampires.

Tzadkiel is the vampire who Benjamin’s parents and uncle had in their basement all those years ago. After murdering Benjamin’s parents, Tzadkiel goes into what I can only describe as hibernation mode for 20 years. The last thing that he thinks about is Benjamin and has a thirst for revenge. He finds Benjamin in a bar, drinking away the memories of his family and the vampires that he killed. His thought of revenge is put on the back burner when a greater threat is revealed that threatens every single supernatural being in Boston.

The world building and character building were fantastic. I love it when an author is able to suck me into a story right from the get go and when I finish the book, leave me wanting for more. The fact that this book is set in Boston cemented the deal for me. I grew up around Boston and it thrills me to no end when an author makes an effort to actually get the geography and the feel of a city right off the bat and this book did that. And the character building….oh my god. Each character, even the secondary ones, had layers to them and it was wonderful to see Tzadkiel and Benjamin’s layers pulled back and their true selves revealed.

Now the all important sex scenes. The author let the sexual tension build in the book until the characters couldn’t take it anymore and then the fireworks happened. What I loved is that Tzadkiel and Benjamin had sex only a few times in the book and so much was conveyed with a look and a touch. The sex was off the pages hot. I had to fan myself after the first scene because it was so steamy. But what got me even more into it was that the feelings that both characters started having for each other. I think I fell in love with Tzadkiel before Benjamin did.

The end of the book was a bit of a surprise. I felt awful for Akito and actually can’t wait to read his story. The HEA with Tzadkiel and Benjamin was fantastic.

How many stars will I give Surrender the Dark: 4

Why: Great world and character building, great subplots and a romance that took my breath away.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Language, violence, and sex. There is a pretty horrific scene where Benjamin loses his eyes.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Surrender the Dark is well-written and the world building is very good. It seemed a bit long and wordy at times, but as I read further, the word choices felt appropriate to the characters. The dynamics between Benjamin and Tzadkiel were interesting, to say the least. If ever two people should be life-long enemies, it is these two. I wasn't sure in the beginning that I'd be convinced of their relationship but was pleasantly surprised by the end. Overall, the book did hold my interest and I would recommend it to anyone who reads this genre.

Received in exchange for a honest review.

So mixed on this one. There are some parts I adore and others that left me meh.

I love the concepts behind this book. I love the way the story doesn’t drag and keeps you in the moment. I found the fact that the vampire had more honor than anyone else in the book fascinating and so did those who were part of his family.

Tzadkiel was intersting. he was a monster in some eyes but had honor and integrity. He took longer to come around to the idea of him and Benjamin but when he did wow just wow. He protected and loved fiercely.

Benjamin was harder to get into. You could see his ignorance come into play and his stubbornness. He didn’t want to see the way things were in the beginning only stick to what he knew. He sometimes seemed to be arrogant but you felt for him due to all he went through. I love his sacrifice at the end and Tzadkiel’s as well.

the war was great. It kept you on edge what I found meh where the zombies. For me I didn’t see a reason to add this for the story was already fresh, intuitive and edgy. Benjamin’s friends were loyal and diverse in nature. All like Benjamin misinformed and learned so much when working with Tzadkiel. For me Tzadkiel made the story. I hated at the end the way the fae queen was. So wrong of her but loved how Tzadkiel was at the end and how protective he was of Benjamin and his friends. Seeing all walks of life come together to stand up to one faction wanting power over all was great. Seeing two warring groups find a way to come together and see beyond the hatred and misunderstandings and mistrust to work together and have two find love and their soul mates awesome.

the romance was secondary to the story and that at times was frustrating because it just teases you and gets you really steamy and than whomp it ends. I think it is good and bad. good because it has you focus on the story and the transformation of Tzadkiel and Benjamin from enemies to lovers. We see them learn about each other and see things from the others view and how everything has affected them to this point. It’s bad because we see the attraction feel it see the buildup have these moments that begin but abruptly end leaving you out cold and wanting. Which could be good for it gives delayed gratification.

Overall the story is edgy, exciting and interesting.We see the characters change and become who they are meant to. they grow and learn. They even fall in love and find family and safety. I hope that Benjamins friends get to have stories to rival his in love and intrigue as they battle to keep power from being overtaken.

I normally don't read paranormal, however, this book had a great storyline and the characters were well developed that I was drawn into their story from the very beginning! This was the first book that I have read by Tibby Armstrong and I look forward to reading more from this author!

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Tibby Armstrong is a new-to-me author. I was pleasantly surprised at how I instantly fell into the story, since I started the book blindly by not reading the synopsis prior.

Surrender the Dark begins nearly two decades in the past, when Benjamin was only an eight-year-old boy. He was being formed in his family's image, honed as a blade by his uncle and parents to eradicate the world of vampires. The hunters are holding the War King, and the uncle wishes it to be young Ben's first kill. Things go awry for the both parties, which leads us to present time.

Tzadkiel awakens after a long healing sleep, still weakened by the poison in his veins. He seeks out Benjamin for vengeance. However, Ben is equally finding vengeance by removing Tzadkiel's kind with the help of his friends, a witch-fae hybrid and a human.

The hunter and the War King join forces when something far more nefarious is taking over Boston.

World-building: Befitting the Urban Fantasy genre, I found the world-building to be innovated, interesting, and kept my interests from start to finish. Obviously, with this being the first in a new series, it was unveiled slowly, as to not have the reader experiencing info-dumpage. There is a lot of room for growth in subsequent titles, and I look forward to seeing where the author takes the story.

Character building: Benjamin is a deep character, and I feel as if we just scratched the surface, yet I felt connected to him emotionally after seeing his past and how it affected his present and future. Disfigured and disabled due to blindness, Ben showed strength, integrity, and courage throughout the novel. Tzadkiel is obviously older, and even during his narration, we don't learn much of his past. Tzadkiel was firmly in the present, with only glimpses into what made him who is his today. The side cast of characters were interesting, with many branches to open up future plots.

Romance: Tension. Witty banter. Heat. Love-hate enemies turned dubious allies, turned reluctant lovers. On the pages, it was like a test for love and loyalty, which both seemed to pass with flying colors. I enjoyed this portion of the story, as it felt more slow-burn, with the lust not overpowering the story until the romance is in-your-face. The romance was riding beneath the surface, adding to the plot, and allowing the story to take center stage.

Writing: What I appreciated the most was the intelligence Tzadkiel displayed. A pet-peeve of mine is always how 'ancient' beings speak as if they are 20-year-old students who need attitude adjustments for the sake of adding humor to the story. Finally... Tzadkiel displayed the wisdom, control, and patience of someone who had lived centuries and saw the world change before his very eyes. His amusement was darker, more sarcastic and witty, and this was a nice balance to jaded yet young Benjamin.

I recommend this title to fans of Urban Fantasy and MM romance, and I'm highly anticipating the next installment in the series.


Angie – ☆☆☆
I am being super generous with my three-star rating. I honestly didn't think I was going to get through this book. It was so wordy and honestly boring that I found myself skimming the book... A LOT. I felt no connection to the main characters and after so much skimming, I didn't care if they were together, if they liked each other or if they made it or not. There were so many paranormal aspects to this as well that I didn't care for that part either. I am okay with vampires and werewolves together, but you throw in zombies and I am out. The zombie thing is just too much for me. I think I can safely say I will not be reading the next book in the series.

I don't want to get too excited here but this has the potential to be a great paranormal romantic suspense series with phenomenal worldbuilding, strong leading characters and loads of action/adventure. Armstrong has taken a modern day Boston and transformed it into an urban fantasy landscape brimming with secret lairs, underground civilizations, supes of all kinds, secret doors and a blood feud that spans years.

We have the sexy vamp in Tzadkiel and his fierce paramour, Benjamin. They have a shared and painful past that pits them against one another initially.




Hunter and vamp. Drawn to each other and repulsed by their attraction simultaneously. I'm licking my lips here because them's the goods right there! You know what that means, kids?




Well, sorta. The sex was a teensy bit rough if infrequent and I have to say if authors don't quit chain-yanking me on the hate sex I'm going to get SUPER fussy. These two had biting snark and an ocean's worth of water under the bridge and they still couldn't manage some hate sex?

Luckily the whole "fated" thing came along and saved the day. I heart me some fated mates and these two met when Benjamin was just an innocent tike of 8 or so. Even then Tzadkiel found his elderflower (NICE! Armstrong didn't go with the ubiquitous something woodsy) scent irresistible. Naturally Benjamin has similar feels with regard to Tzadkiel. Who can resist and vamp in leather though? I mean, really.


The defense rests.
Surrender the Dark definitely fits the hurt/comfort bill with Benjamin having been blinded and disfigured by Tzadkiel as a child then orphaned. While Tzadkiel withstood 36 straight hours of torture at the hands of Benjamin's uncle (an asshole, in case you were wondering) including losing his fangs and being injected with iron and...



Yeah, it was bad. So bad he had to go to ground for two decades to minimally recover, so you can imagine how pissed he was when he woke up.



I wanted Tzadkiel to be a bit more unscrupulous than he turned out to be, but he's good... vampire? What's plural for vampire or is it like deer? Whatever you get what I mean. I liked him and I liked that Armstrong made his voice align with his age, wisdom and experience. Actually, both men had their own unique voices that I had no trouble differentiating between. I so enjoyed getting a front row seat to witness the evolution of their relationship from enemies to something more and how they each grappled with their changing perceptions of the other.

However much I enjoyed the growth of their relationship, Surrender the Dark is very much a paranormal adventure/urban fantasy with an up-tempo pace intermingled through the worldbuilding and romance plotlines, so if you're looking for a really strong romance storyline you'll probably be disappointed. The two strongest secondary characters are Benjamin's best friends, Nyx and Akito, and while I liked them and wouldn't mind learning more about them I'm hoping the next book will continue with Tzadkiel and Benjamin's story and their adventures with even more action, please.

Recommend to urban fantasy fans.




I couldn't resist.





An ARC was provided by NetGalley.

I honestly can’t believe that Surrender the Dark is the first book by Tibby Armstrong that I’ve read. I’ve been following her for a while now and I really did think that I’d read at least one of her books, but I was wrong. There’s obviously nothing I can do about that now, but after finishing the first book in her newest series, I’m hooked and anxiously waiting the next book in the Dark series.

Not surprisingly, it was really easy to sympathize with Benjamin. I’ve got to admit that I was wondering exactly how the author was going to bring these two characters together after all the pain that they caused each other. Tzadkiel was the enemy. He was a monster that had tricked Benjamin, caused him to lose his sight and killed his family. Things aren’t always exactly as they seem though and there were a lot of interesting twists in Surrender the Dark.

Once I started to understand Tzadkiel’s history and how things really played out I wasn’t sure who to sympathize with because I found my heart breaking for both of them. So much so, that I wasn’t disappointed at all to find that the real enemy in Surrender the Dark wasn’t who I expected.

Beyond the story, the writing in Surrender the Dark drew me in. The descriptions were almost poetic, but not over the top. The characters were well developed and there was even humor laced within all the pain, anger and danger. Just a few of the reasons why I’ll most definitely not only be following the rest of this series but I’ll also be searching out more books by this author.

The conflict was over between Tzadkiel and Benjamin by the end of Surrender the Dark, but there’s still more to come. More than one character’s fate was undecided. Even though the next book, Taste the Dark, centers around at least one of those characters, I’m pretty sure readers haven’t seen the last of the King and his mate. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to it. 😉

I have to admit, I’ve stayed away from paranormal romance lately, but I’m glad I took a chance on this book because I really enjoyed it!

I actually had the wrong idea of what this story would be like though. For some reason, I was expecting something along the lines of Benjamin being kidnapped and held captive and the two men falling in love during that time, but that was not at all what the story was. There was no captivity or Stockholm Syndrome. Instead, it was pretty much that they both wanted to kill each other but Tzadkiel needed Benjamin alive for the time being, and Benjamin was just waiting for the right opportunity, and then they ended up with a common goal (even though Tzadkiel still wanted to kill Benjamin). Both men thought the other was a monster, and I could completely understand why, but the irony was that neither really was a monster. And other than one really sappy conversation during a battle scene, their romance was full of tension but ultimately sweet and overall believable considering the premise.

Now let’s talk about Benjamin because <3 <3 <3 [incoherent mumbling and cooing]. He was kind of one of those perfectly imperfect characters whose flaws only seemed to make him more lovable, and sometimes I complain about that, but not this time because I just loved him! He had weaknesses and vulnerabilities and emotional scars. He had some insecurities about his blindness and his facial scars, not so much because of how it affected his life (he could still get around and do everything) but more because he felt like people judged him, were only interested in him because of pity or because they figured he’d be easy, etc. He was also a self-proclaimed alcoholic who drank often to try and forget his problems. Self harm and mental illness in his past were also hinted at (but they were never explained or present in the story). So yeah, Benjamin was prickly, but it was only because of the walls he built up, and I kind of just wanted to give him a big hug and make everything all better.

Benjamin also had some of the BEST descriptions (in Tzadkiel’s POV) that I have ever read.

The story outside of the romance was also good, but I was more interested in the characters and the romance.

The only thing that disappointed me was that the blindness was mostly canceled out by magical abilities that basically allowed Benjamin to see when he was near Tzadkiel (just in purple light instead of all the colors). That was a shame since, before that, the portrayal of the blindness seemed great with all the little mentions of things, like how Benjamin was able to get around the city by memorizing certain things, and how he poured drinks by listening to the sound of the liquid in the glass to know when it was full. The book also covered some misconceptions, like how blind people don’t have other supersenses. But then he could basically see, so that stuff wasn’t in the book anymore.

So overall, the disability rep could’ve been better, but I really enjoyed the story, the writing, the romance, and the characters!

4.5 stars

Oh boy, do I love Tibby Armstong. I fell in love with her after devouring her Outtakes Hollywood series and vowed to read everything she writes because I love that series so much. Imagine my surprise when Armstrong returned to the scene and this time around she didn’t write a contemporary, she penned a vampire story and once I saw it I had to have it! I love paranormals and I knew with Tibby Armstrong at the helm, I would be reading a story featuring fleshed out complex characters and a world building guaranteed to tickle my imagination. She did not disappoint.

Surrender the Dark tells the story of Benjamine and Tzadkiel. Benjamine descends from a long line of hunters committed to ridding the world of vampires. Benjamin's first encounter with Tzadkiel occurs when he was a small boy. Tzadkiel was captured by Benjamin's family and Benjamine was tasked by his Uncle to finally get his feet wet in the family business and destroy the War King. An unfortunate incident occurs which leaves young Benjamin a blind orphan and Tzadkiel, hell bent on seeking vengeance on those that relentlessly hunt his kind. He already mete out his vengeance on the Fuller family, leaving behind only one survivor. Little did he know that the young man with the sightless eyes, alluring scent and lithe body, mortal enemy he may be, but he just may be Tzadkiel’s key to reclaim his throne and find future happiness.

I enjoyed this story. A lot of effort was put into this world building as well at the characters and it shows. There’s lots of world building in this story which makes sense since this will be a series. The MC’s pull you in the minute they appear on page. This is an enemies-to- lovers story that had to overcome impossible odds. Tzadkiel wiped out Ben’s family. It is because of Tzadkiel that Ben is an orphan. This is literally mission impossible territory, yet Armstrong manages to weave a tale that makes their romance believable despite circumstances.

If you’re looking for a well-thought out vampire story then snag this one. It’s clear Armstrong is laying out the chips so to speak, for what will no doubt become a very interesting supernatural showdown in coming stories. Looking forward to the next installment.

I had never read this author before, but I have to say I was greatly impressed. The plot was both intriguing and engaging, the writing inspired, the imagery extremely vivid, and the characters complex and well thought out. These characters have a way of drawing you right into the story and making you believe in this extraordinary world the author has created for us. They make it impossible to not become invested in their lives, and rooting for them just becomes second nature. These characters found their way into my heart. Two emotionally and physically damaged men, who by all rights should be enemies, find themselves drawn to each other in ways neither of them fully understand. The question is can they let go of their shared past in order to forge a future together… and maybe heal one another a bit in the process? I have to tell you, I was hooked on this story from very early on and remained riveted to the very end. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book in this series, Taste The Dark. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a provocatively romantic and completely compelling read.

3.5 stars. As much as I loved this story and the characters, it didn't wow me like Tibby's other books. I think it was because it just seemed too long at 251 pages. The fact that the MC's really hated each other and had reason to truly hate each other, just was hard for me to wrap my head around when they were falling for each other. I did like the plot and the characters though.

An extraordinarily well written paranormal romance.

We get vampires and vampire hunters, witches and fae. All living and fighting in Boston with humans mostly unaware.

The vampires and hunters, descendants of Greek gods, have ancient animosity between the families. Blood enemies with hearts full of revenge.

It grabs your heartstrings from the very beginning. I was immediately sad for the boy Benjamin. Horrified and outraged at the mistreatment of Tzadkiel the vampire at Hunter hands.

Twenty years after their first ill-fated meeting, our MCs reunite. Their story takes them from "enemies" to "reluctant allies" to "lovers".
...lust had supplanted reason, eroding Tzadkiel’s hate and replacing revenge with a different sort of blood-driven fantasy.

This first book in the series focuses on world building and develops the action and drama between the supernatural forces.

But the MCs chemistry shines throughout and doesn't ever hit backburner status. Instead, their attraction is a seemingly insurmountable problem. The more they collaborate, the more they realize the honor and dedication in the other. Their attraction gradually morphs into respect.
Awareness of the incongruities between what he’d been taught and what he now knew to be true. There were no monsters here. ~Benjamin

It's more than a slow-burn romance. It's a story of acceptance, forgiveness, and understanding.
Once you closed your metaphorical eyes to misunderstandings and imperfections, conceits and prejudices, then, and only then, could you see the strength and beauty that had been there before you all along.

I’ve waffled a bit over this one and it’s not because I didn’t enjoy the book, because I did. It had more to do with what I was expecting and what I actually got while reading the book. The world building and setup of the series story arc as well as the secondary ones were done very well and I’m quite interested in seeing how it all plays out. I could easily picture what was going on my head and though there were parts that dragged a bit for me, it didn’t last long and I enjoyed the flow of the writing. But as much as I liked all of that, the romance side of the story just didn’t grab me like I thought it would based on Tzad and Ben’s shared history. The tension between them didn’t set me on edge with want. There was some heat between them and I enjoyed their bantering and I did like both of them, but that spark was missing for me and I didn't fall in love with them and their journey.

In all honesty this felt more like an urban fantasy novel with a touch of romance than a true blue PNR and had it been touted as UF my rating would be higher because I wouldn’t have been anticipating the romance to be the main focus and just gone with it. But it is what it is and as I said in the beginning, I really enjoyed the world that the author has created and am looking forward to seeing where she takes us with this series.

The cover to Surrender the Dark leads the reader to believe it is a very specific kind of book. Erotica. And while there were some very steamy love scenes, it was so much more than that. It was a story of love and betrayal, adventure and danger, friendship and age old hatred. I devoured this story like a disaster survivor might inhale their favorite food. I could not get my fill, fast enough.

I immediately fell in love with our troubled protagonist, who really did come off as, well an ass. But Nyx and Akito became my favorites. All of the characters were very engaging and appealing, giving the reader a sense of being in the story, a part of it even. Even Boston held a certain charm.



I couldn't help but hope that there will be a follow up to Surrender the Dark. The story ended with the war at an impasse. But until then, I highly recommend Surrender the Dark and give it 4 out of 5 crossbows.

3.5 Stars
While I liked the world, characters and story, there was something that just kept me from being fully immersed in this book. It really dragged at times. I wanted more action. I understand that backstory and development and internal insights were needed, I guess I needed more interaction and movement. Overall I liked Surrender the Dark, and will definitely read the next book in the series.

Damn this was a hard pill to swallow. If you're thinking about picking this book up after reading the blurb....read this review first. The blurb isn't exactly what this book is about.

People who know me, know that I love PNR. Better yet, I love getting lost in the PNR world. But this was doomed from the beginning for me. So much so that I almost DNF'd it. I've never read this author before, so after reading the blurb, I was really looking forward to experiencing a new PNR world that I could share with my friends. Unfortunately, the author spent WAY too much time setting up the world, characters and everything else somewhat related to the story that the story itself doesn't even TRULY begin until after the half way mark. Yep...you heard me. And by then, I'm afraid I had already checked out.

You see. The blurb implies that Benjamin and Tzadkiel will be lusting after each other and fighting supernatural beings to save the world. Right? Well, that's what I got from it. Truth? Benjamin's family tortured Tzadkiel for hours before he was able to escape (thanks to a young Benj) and now twenty years later is more than happy to reciprocate. Kind of makes it awkward to be attracted to each other, but that's exactly how things play out. AND...the supernatural being they end up fighting is one of Benj's friends dad. So yeah, more awkwardness.

The writing in general was good, but I would have really liked it if I learned about the world and characters through experiences and conflict more than being brow beaten for the first half of the book. Trying to get a grip on which characters were what (fae, were, vamp, etc), not to mention waiting for some kind of real chemistry to happen between Benjamin and Tzadkiel, had me checking out before things even got started. Sorry...but I won't be picking up the next one.

reviewed by Chris

Surrender the Dark is the story of a vampire king and the hunter who seeks revenge for the one who killed his family. I have to admit, I almost didn’t finish this book, but since I’d DNFd the one before it, I stuck it out longer that I would have. I’m glad I did. There were parts of the book that I liked, but parts of it were problematic for me. For one thing, I thought the dialogue in this one was incredibly awkward most of the time, and as a result, it didn’t feel as if the pair ever became comfortable with each other or developed deep feelings. And I do think that if Zad and Benjamin had slept together at the beginning of this story, there could have been so much more sexual tension. There were also some events that occurred that, had there been any foreshadowing, could have been interesting. The way they were presented didn’t give me the shock factor that I think the author was going for, because they really came out of nowhere. There was nothing leading up to them. Also, ‘fuck you’ was supposed to be Benjamin’s ‘trademark wit’ and comeback based on how he’s perceived by Zad, but all it did for me was make him sound inarticulate. Especially when the rest of the story felt like it was searched and replaced with terms found in a thesaurus. Also, at no point in the story did I feel like Benjamin was a worthy adversary for Zad, and based on the blurb (When he gains the upper hand, Benjamin vows to bring his enemy to his knees,) I should have.
Having said all that, I think the world was very interesting, and I loved the secondary characters in this story, especially Nyx. Her dynamic with her parents was very interesting, and I am excited to read more about that. I also did really like Benjamin. I just think we could have been given so much more from his character, and I’m disappointed we weren’t.
The end of this story felt a little Breaking Dawn-ish and could have used some originality, but overall, it was interesting enough that I’m considering reading the next in the series.

Surrender the Dark is a slow-burn romance between a hunter and a vampire that are connected by their families' centuries-old animosity.

Each has his own scars and both are responsible in some way for the other's suffering. It's a true enemies to lovers story with Benjamin and Tzadkiel honestly hating each other at the beginning and for the most part of the story.

Their connection and forgiveness for the other comes gradually. They learn to trust each other and to see the other for who he is rather than what he is. They're attracted to each other but at the same time they can't ignore what they have lost in the hands of the other.

The story is set up in a world where all supernatural creatures are real but the general public doesn't know their existence. A supernatural war is happening under everyones noses in order for a power-hungry witch to control all the magic in the city and to exclude his emenies of accessing it.

It's the first book of a trilogy and it's apparent as there are a lot of unresolved issues at the end. The main couple does get their happy ending though they are still in the middle of the war which is certainly not over.

The next story centers around a different couple but I hope Ben and Tzadkiel are going to play an important part there as well. It would be nice to see them again, united and secure in their relationship.

* An ARC of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *